Refrigerator cabinet breaker strip construction



Oct. 31, 1950 G. K. IWASHl-TA REFRIGERATOR CABINET BREAKER STRIP CONSTRUCTION Filed May '7, 1948' nan-"n"...

INVEN TOR. Geocge fffwaslziia Patented Oct. 31, 1950 REFRIGERATOR CABINET BREAKER STRIP CONSTRUCTION George K. Iwashita, Evansville, Ind., assignor to Seeger Refrigerator Company, St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Application May v, 1948, Serial No. 25,748

3 Claims. (Cl. 220-9) The present invention relates to refrigerator cabinet breaker strip construction, and is par- 3 ticularly concerned with an improved cabinet construction and breaker strip structure which may be assembled with the cabinet without the use of nails, screws or the like.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of an improved breaker strip construction, the parts of which may be assembled with the cabinet merely by pushing or sliding the breaker strip elements into assembled position, where they are retained by suitable latching means provided on the liner for holding the breaker strip, and provided on the breaker strip for holding corner plates or the like.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved cabinet and breaker strip structure which may be manufactured at a low cost, which is simple in construction, which is readily attached to or detached from the cabinet, which provides a tight closure between the inner and outer shells without any open cracks which might detract'from the appearance of the cabinet and without any recesses into which food or dirt might lodge. C

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved extruded breaker strip, which is capable of economical manufacture, which is sturdy and durable, which is easy 'to'clean and maintain in a clean condition, which requires a minimum number of other parts to secureit in its proper position, which conceals all of the securing devices for the breaker strips and for supporting the inner liner from the outer shell,

and which is adapted to give long service without necessity for repair or replacement of any of its parts.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved breaker strip assembly, which permits the attachment or detachment of the breaker strip parts without the necessity for iising securing devices such asscrews or bolts; and

to provide for an assembly which is easily and quickly assembled withthe cabinet and when assembled is securely held against moving or rat'- tling' during the ordinary use of the refrigerator. i V

Another object of the invention is the provi sion of an improved breaker strip construction and assembly in which. the advantage is taken of" the resilient characteristics of the breaker strip material, as Well as the resilient action of. spring clips which are preferably. provided at.

regularly spaced points, and also in which provision is made to permit the expansion and contraction of the breaker strips without any possibility of. damage to the breaker strips or cabinet,

and without loosening the securing devices which hold the breaker strips in place.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved refrigerator cabinet assembly in which the inner and outer shells are provided with grooves surrounding the door opening for receiving breaker strip elements, and in which advantage is taken of the fact that the sheet metal grooves have resilient characteristics, and the breaker strip elements are made of a composition which has resilient characteristics so that the breaker strip elements are resiliently clamped in these grooves to assure a close, crackless engagement between. the breaker strip elements and the shells at all points about the door opening.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved refrigerator cabinet construction,-including closely fitting breaker strips strip elements in place so that the assembly does held by grooves carried by the inner and outer shells about the door opening, in-which latching means is provided on one of the shells and on breaker strip elements for holding the breaker not depend upon corner clips to hold the individual breaker strips.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the single sheet of drawings'accompanying this specification,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a refrigerator cabinet embodying the invention with the door open;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in perspective of the insulating breaker strip, also showing the crosssectional shape;

'Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the corner clips which are used to cover up the cracks between the liner strips 'at the corners;

Fig. 4 is'a fragmentary elevational view in par "'tial section, taken at the lower leftcorner of the door opening, showing the details of construction ofthebreaker strip assembly; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the plane of the line 5-5 of Figure 4, looking'in the" direction of the arrows.

Referring to Figure 1, it] indicates in its. en,- tirety the improved refrigerator cabinet which includes the ,outer liner shell I! and inner liner l2. The inner. liner i2 is a box-like metal mem- I turned face flange I8 (Figure 5) which is turned backwardly at right angles at H! to form an attaching flange 20.

Between the face flange l8 and the walls I 3l6 of the liner, the liner is formed with an easy bend 2|, the substantially curved portion 2! providing a finished forward surface for that portion of the face flange I8 which is exposed.

The attaching flange is provided with a multiplicity of regularly spaced apertures 22 for receiving the self-tapping screw bolts 23, by means of which the spring strips 24 may be secured to the attaching flange 20. strips 24 may be made of spring steel suitably treated to resist corrosion, and provided with apertures 25 in the attaching flange portion 26 for registry with the apertures 22 and for passing the screw bolts 23..

The screw bolts 23 pass through the attaching flange 26 of the spring retainer strip 24, and are threaded into the aperture 22 of the liner attaching flange 20. The spring retainer strips 24 are preferably of sufiicient length to extend substantially from top to bottom of the door opening and from side to side of the door opening, but in some embodiments of the invention, instead of continuous spring retainer strips a multiplicity of regularly spaced narrow spring retainers may be employed.

The attaching flange 26 of the spring retainer strip'24 is wider than the attaching flange 20, on the liner l2, and thus the spring retainer strip projects forwardly of the face flange I8 on the liner l2. At 2'! the spring retainer strip is bent over at substantially right angles, toward the right in Figure 5, and at 2B the spring retainer strip is bent diagonally inward and upward in Figure 5.

The intermediate portion'29, in Figure 5, extends downward slightly because the spring retainer strip has been spread by the breaker strip, but in its initial condition the portion 29 may extend substantially parallel to the face flange l8.

The diagonally and upwardly extending portion 30 of the spring retainer strip is again curved downward at 3 I, the curved portion at the right of 3| serving as a camming surface for engaging the camming surface 32 on the breaker strip 33. The shoulder formed at the left of the diagonal portion 30, in Figure 5, serves as a retaining shoulder for engaging an opposed shoulder 34 on the breaker strip 33.

Thus, the assembly of the spring strip and liner causes the liner to present in front of its face flange 18 an inwardly facing groove 35 all around the door opening for receiving a part of the breaker strip 33.

The channeled shape of the portions 2|, l8 and 20 of the liner serves to increase its rigidity and it is further re-enforced by the attachment of the spring retainer strips 24 about the door opening, particularly when these spring retainer strips are continuous strips extending the full length and width of the door opening. The groove 50 is preferably deeper than required for merely re:- ceiving breaker strip 33, because a face flange 42 of substantial width is needed to engage the door seal. The spring retainer strip 24 provides a positive stop for engaging the edge of rearwardly turned flange 61 to keep breaker strip 33 from go- The spring retainer ing into groove 50 farther than needed to close the gap securely between the shells.

Referring to Figure 1, the outer shell I I may have its side wall 36, top 3! and other side wall 38 formed of a single piece of metal bent at 39 and 40 to substantially U-shape, and extending down to the flOOr where it is provided with suitable foot formations 4 l The shell H has its side walls 36, 38 and top 31 formed with an inwardly turned face flange 42, which extends at right angles to the side walls and provides a suitable surface for engagement with the rubber sealing strip carried by the door [1.

A transverse frame member 43 joins the side walls 36 and 38 at the bottom of the door opening, and is provided with a similar face flange 44 so that the face flange extends all around the door opening.

The metal of which the shell H is made is bent backwardly uponitself at 45, and provided with a backwardly turned portion 46 that lies against the rear side of the face flange'42 and at the portion 41, which is bent at right angles to the portion 43.

Thereafter, the sheet metal, of which the shell H is formed, is bent inwardly again at 48 and provided with an inwardly extending flange 49, which is preferably of greater width than the face flange 42 for the reason that the flange 49 is used for attachment of brackets or struts which secure the liner to the outer shell.

Thus the outer shell is provided at its forward edge around the door opening with a doubled sheet metal portion formed to provide two par-- allel flange portions 49 and 42, which are separated by a groove 58 of sufficient size to receive another portion Of the breaker strip 33.

The rear attaching flange portion 49. of the outer shell may be substantially in the same plane as the face flange l8 of the inner liner. The

same grooved and flanged construction just described for the side walls 36, 38 and top wall 31 about the door opening are present in the transverse frame member 43, which defines the bottomof the door opening.

The inner liner I2 is supported upon the outer shell I I by a plurality of corner supporting struts 51, and additional latch strike and switch strike struts of similar structure (not shown). The corner struts 5! may consist of segmental sheets of suitable heat-insulating fibrous material of sufficient width to extend and overlap the face flange [8 of the liner [2 at the corner at the same time it overlaps the attaching flange 49 of the shell l Las shown in Figure 4.

A plurality of screw bolts 52 may pass through the corner strut 5|, and may be threaded into punched or drilled holes in the face flange of liner l2 and attaching flange 49 of shell ll. As the struts must engage flatly against the front of face flange l8 on the liner, the spring retainer strips may be cut off on a line which is defined by the inner border of each corner strut 5i so that the spring retainer strips will not interfere with the corner struts.

Additional struts may be provided adjacent the hinges to increase the rigidity of the cabinet at these points. The struts 5| hold the liner walls in spaced relation to the walls of the shell, and this space is preferably filled with a suitable fibrous insulation.

The breaker strips 33 are preferably of sufficient length to extend from top to bottom of the door opening, and. from side to side of the door 1 opening, all of the strips being of the same crosssectional shape, shown in Figure 2,. and the strips being miter-cut at the corners, thus four breaker strips will be required, the others beside strip .33 being indicated by the numerals 53 at the bottom, 54 at the top and 55 at the right side of Figure 1.

vIn some embodiments of the invention the breaker strips may be miter-cut at the corners in the manner of a picture frame or molding, to accomplish a substantially tight fit at the corners without necessity for any corner clip.

Suflicient space is preferably provided. at 56 at each corner between the miter-cut ends of the breaker strips to allow for the heat contraction and expansion of the breaker strips, and to compensate for variations in dimensions due to the ordinary process of manufacture. This open space at each corner is later covered by the corner clips 51, one of which is shown in Figure 3 (later to be described) Referring to Figure 2, the breaker strips are preferably made by extruding strips of the crosssection, shown in Figure 2, of initially plastic material, which is chemically inert and resistive to attack by most acids and solvents and which is also heat insulating in character, flexible and somewhat resilient. For example, the breaker strips may be made of the plastic known as Ethyl These materials have 1 Cellulose or Polystyrene. relatively hard surfaces which take a good finish, they are flexible and resilient and sumcientl-y strong structurally to be self-susta ning, and they may be manufactured in any desired color.

The breaker strip 33 comprises an elongated strip of this material, the face flange 58 of which is substantially plane and flat at its outer portion, that is, the left of Figure 5 or the top of Figure 2, outer portion 59, and the face flange 58 is convexly curved at its forward portion 60 so that the face flange may extend inwardly from the edge 45 of the shell, and may also curve inwardly to bring its edge 6| into engagement with the liner face flange I8.

The outer edge of the face. flange 58 of the breaker strip 33. Figure 2, is formed with an easy right angle bend 62, a transverse portion 63 and a backwardly turned portion 64' which flares outwardly at its edge 55, thus presenting an inner r This channeled construction rechannel 66. enforces and strengthens that edge of the breaker strip and gives the breaker strip sufficient wdth so that it substantially fills the groove 50 in the outer shell 'I I around the door opening.

The flaring portion 54, 65 gives the channel a greater width than the groove 50 so that the flange B4 or the flange 49 on the shell may give slightly as the channeled edge of the breaker strip is pressed into the groove 50. Thus the resilient nature of the breaker strip channel" permits it to be compressed slightly to make a tight fit in the 1 groove 50 of the shell to prevent'rattling.

At its opposite edge, that is, the lower edge, Figure 2, the breaker strip 33 is provided with a' backwardly turned flange 61, which. includes a portion 68 that is substantially parallel to the liner flange I8, but is spaced therefrom by a'relav tively narrow rib at the edge 6 I,

The backwardly turned flange 61 has a shoulder formedat 34 on the inside of flange 61' for engaging the stop surface on the diagonal. portion 30 of the retainer spring 24. From the shoulder 34 thebackwardly turned flange: 6 1 has an out-- wardlyiflared portion 69,. the: inner face of which has: already. been indicated. as a camming; surface. 32.

This flared portion terminates in a relatively sharp edge 10, and the camming surface 32 serves; to engage the curved portion 3| on the retainer spring 24, to force the spring apart until the backwardly turned flange 61 moves inwardly to the positionof. Figure 5, where the breaker strip 33 is held by engagement of the.

shoulders and 34.

Thus it. will be observed that the inner and. outer shells have the grooves 50 and which both extendinwardly, and the breaker strip elements are of such shape and size that they fit in these grooves, into which they may be. moved.

by placing the breaker strip, with its flange 64,

against the flange 49 of the shell, and its flange, 69 against the liner flange l8, and then sliding 59 of the breaker strip'is kept in'close contact with the rear sideof. the doubled wall 42, 46 of the shell at the edge. 7

Referring now to Figure 3, the corner clips 57 are preferably made of thin strips of re silient sheet metal bent or stamped to the shape shown. in Figure 3. Each corner clip is of sufficient width to cover the crack at 56, between the mitered ends of the breaker strip elements, and to overlap the breaker strips.

The corner clip 51 hasits main body in the form of a gradually curved metal strip 'H', the inner surface of which is complementary to the outside surface of the breaker strip at the edges 12, which are the point of engagement between the corner clips and the breaker strips.

The corner clip has its body H longer than the width of the breaker strip so that it can be forced in between the breaker strip and the doubled flange 42, 46 of the shell at the edge of the shell at each corner.

At its opposite end, that is, the bottom of Figure 3, the corner clip- 51 is formed with a backwardly turned flange 13, which extends substantially parallel to the face flange l8 on liner l2. This backwardly turned flange is formed with a pair of inwardly projecting curved ribs 14, which extend diagonally across the corners ,of the breaker strip. Thus the ribs 14 are confined outwardly of the rib 6| on the breaker strip, Figure 5, to hold the corner clips in place.

In some embodiments of the invention the ribs 6! of the breaker strips may be slightly re- 7 cessed at the ends of the breaker strips so that 1 the flange 13 on the corner clip does not space the breaker strip from the liner flange [8. In a similar way the upper surface 59, of the break-" er strip might be recessed to receive the corner 12 of the corner clip to prevent the corner clip from causing a spacing of the from the flange 46.

It will thus be observed that I have invented an improved breaker strip construction for refrigeratorcabinets, which is characterized bybreaker strip the total absence of nails or screws or the like for securing the breaker strips in place. that it is necessary to do is to place the breaker strip against the flanges 49 and I8, and shove it outward until the flange 6! passes under the retainer spring 24.

-Afterthe four breaker strips have been put in place it is a simple matter to insert the corner clips between the breaker strip and the front flange 42, 46, and simultaneously to shove the flange-l3 of the corner clip 51 under the edge 6| of'the breaker strips at each corner.

The present construction permits the expansion and contraction of the breaker strips without-tending to become loose, as the strips may slide longitudinally of the spring retainer strip. Much. labor is saved by reason of the simple manner in which the breaker strips and corner clips are attached.

Thepresent breaker strips have a hard finish which is not easily damaged-,and which may be kept clean with a minimum amount of effort.

Since the breaker strip is extruded it may be manufactured more cheaply than breaker strips which involve a rectangular frame that is. molded all in one piece;

While I have illustrated a preferred embodimentyof 1 my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wishto be limited to the precise-details of constructionset forth, but desire toavail myself of all changes within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a refrigerator cabinet breaker strip construction, the combination of an outer shell formed with a door opening and having the said shell formed with an inwardly open substantially rectangular groove surrounding said door opening, withan inner liner supported upon said outer shell and spaced therefrom, said inner liner having its forward edge outwardly turned surrounding said door opening toward the inwardly open groove of said outer shell, and backwardly turned into the space between said shells to provide an attaching flange, said outwardly turned portion forming afacing flange, a breaker strip securing member carried by said attaching flange on each side of the door opening and comprising an angular resilient metal member formed with an attaching flange of greater width than the first-mentioned attaching flange and secured to the first-mentioned attaching flange, said resilient member having an inwardly extending resilient flange terminating in a retaining rib which isbent toward said facing flange, and a breaker stripcomprising an insulating non-hygroscopic member of substantially uniform cross section,

said'breaker strip having a convexly curbed body of suflicient width to extend from said facing flange to'a point just inside the inwardly turned groove ofsaid outer shell, said body being provided at its outer edge with a backwardly cx tending flange and an inwardly extending flange forming an inwardly open rectangular channel .All

n, AA

and keeper flange engaging in the corner against 1 the facing flange and the attaching flange of said resilient member to prevent movement of thebreaker strip in an outward direction when the inner corner of said stop and keeper flange engages said latching rib which holds the breaker strip in engagement with the facing flange and prevents the breaker strip from moving out of said position.

shell formed with an inwardly open substantially rectangular groove surrounding said door opening,

with an inner liner supported upon said outer shell and spaced therefrom, said inner lining having its forward edge outwardly turned surrounding said 1 door opening toward the inwardly open groove of said outer shell, and backwardly turned into thespace between said shells to provide an attaching flange, said outwardly turned portion forming a" facing flange, a breaker strip securing member carried by said attaching flange on each side of the door opening and comprisin an angular resilient metal member formed with an attaching flange of greater width than the first-mentioned attaching flange and secured to the first-mentioned attaching flange, said resilient member having an inwardly extending resilient flange terminating in a retaining rib which is bent toward said facing flange,'and a breaker strip comprising an insulaitng non-hygroscopic member of sub* stantially-uniform cross section, said breaker strip 1 having a convexly curved body of sufficient width to extend from said facing flange to a point just inside the inwardly turned groove of said outer shell, said body being provided at its outer edge with a backwardly extending flange and an inwardly extending flange forming an inwardly open rectangular channel of such size as to be resiliently gripped bythe outer shell at its inwardly extending groove, the breaker strip being provided at its inner edge with an outwardly extending flange extending substantially parallel to said facing flange, said outwardly extendin flange including an outwardly extending stop and keeper flange which is turned diagonally backward, the

moving out of said position, the said breaker strip-- having at its inner edge a backwardly extending rib forming a continuation of said curved body for engagement with said facing flange.

3. In a refrigerator cabinet breaker strip construction, the combination of an outer shellformed with a door opening and having the said shell formed with an inwardly open substantially rectangular groove surrounding said door opening, with an inner liner supported upon said outer shell and spaced therefrom, said inner liner having its forward edge outwardly turned surrounding said door opening toward the inwardly open groove of said outer shell, and backwardly turned into the space between said shells to provide an attaching flange, said outwardly turned portion forming afacing flange, a breaker strip securing member carried by said attaching flange on each side of the door opening and comprising 5 an angular resilient metal member formed with" an attaching flange of greater width than the first-mentioned attaching flange and secured to the first-mentioned attaching flange, said resilient member having an inwardly extending resilient flange terminating in a retaining rib which is bent toward said facing flange, and a breaker strip comprising an insulating nonhygroscopic member of substantially uniform cross section, said breaker strip having a convexly curved body of suflicient width to extend from said facing flange to a point just inside the inwardly turned groove of said outer shell, said body being provided at its outer edge with a backwardly extending flange and an inwardly extending flange forming an inwardly open rec tangular channel of such size as to be resiliently gripped by the outer shell at its inwardly extending groove, the breaker strip being provided at its inner edge with an outwardly extending flange extending substantially parallel to said facing flange, said outwardly extending flange including an outwardly extending stop and keeper flange which is turned diagonally backward, the edge of said stop and keeper flange engaging in the corner against the facing flange and the attaching flange of said resilient member to prevent movement of the breaker strip in an outward direction when the inner corner of said stop and keeper flange engages said latching rib which holds the breaker strip in engagement with the facing flange and prevents the breaker strip from moving out of said position, the said breaker strip having at its inner edge a backwardly extending rib forming a continuation of iii) said curved body for engagement with said facing flange, and a similar breaker strip similarly installed upon oneof the next adjacent sides of the door opening, the two breaker strips being miter cut at the corner between them but spaced from each other, and a corner clip comprising a thin sheet member having a body curved so that its edges have substantially the same curvature as the diagonal section of the breaker strip at said corner, said corner clip having a longer body for coveringthe crack between the breaker strips and the end of said body being inserted between the breaker strips and the shell at the faces of the breaker strips, said corner clip having at its inner end a backwardly turned straight flange provided with a pair of pressed formations which engage behind the ribs on the breaker strips when said backwardly turned flange is inserted between the breaker strips and said facing flange.

GEORGE K. IWASHITA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,329,755 Goulooze Sept. 21, 1943 2,343,447 Drake Mar. '7, 1944 2,358,221 Drake Sept. 12, 1944 2,368,542 Hall Jan. 30, 1945 2,385,908 Armstrong -1 Oct. 2, 1945 2,394,229 Bergstrom Feb. 5, 1-946 

